The present document of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) concerns the re-trial of Leyla Zana, and three other Kurdish former parliamentary deputies that took place before No.1 Ankara State Security Court on 23 May 2003. On the basis of the observation of the hearing on 23 May 2003, the ICJ/CIJL finds that whilst certain aspects of the right to a fair trial were respected during the course of the criminal proceedings against Leyla Zana and her co-defendants, there are profound concerns that the principle of equality of arms between the defence and prosecution was not observed and that the tribunal was neither independent nor impartial. The ICJ states that relevant persuasive non-treaty standards for Turkey include the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
The present document of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) concerns the re-trial of Leyla Zana, and three other Kurdish former parliamentary deputies that took place before No.1 Ankara State Security Court on 23 May 2003. On the basis of the observation of the hearing on 23 May 2003, the ICJ/CIJL finds that whilst certain aspects of the right to a fair trial were respected during the course of the criminal proceedings against Leyla Zana and her co-defendants, there are profound concerns that the principle of equality of arms between the defence and prosecution was not observed and that the tribunal was neither independent nor impartial. The ICJ states that relevant persuasive non-treaty standards for Turkey include the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
